Costco

I'd like to hear the opinions of some of our US based brethren about Costco. They are going to be opening up some stores in Australia in the near future - if it is similar to the US what can we expect?

cheapest place in town to buy gas/petrol !
here they only take AmEx or debit cards, although with your membership you can get a free cash rewards AmEx card.
for food everything is really for bulk (great for families, not so great for singles !), good wine selection with some really good prices on some of it, and great return policy for electronics.

It's an excellent place to get very good, very cheap prints made - in an hour.

I like Costco and have been a member for over a decade. I always check their availability and pricing and compare the items with Amazon.com. While not all items are cheaper at Costco, you do get enough discounted prices on many items enough to cover your annual membership fee. You might want to look into their Photo Center and give them a try for cheap and yet quality enlargements. Their return policy is second to none, so sometimes I'd purchase items from them even if on rare occasions when their price is a bit higher than other places if I feel I might have to return the item. The only thing I don't like about Costco is the limited payment option. It's either cash or AmEx card.

T.D. wrote in post #7105180
It's an excellent place to get very good, very cheap prints made - in an hour.

For sure, they have great printers and are extremely flexible. I got a few misprints, they took em back, said "our bad", and shot out some good copies.

FWIW, Costco also sells (IMO) excellent beef and poultry. As mentioned, it's in bulk but even for a two-place household, it's a very good value.

I use the Amex Costco card. The rebate covers the membership fees.
The return policy is awesome. I bought a point and shoot for my dad in the US. He didn't like it so i returned it in canada. Costco took it back with no questions asked.
I do notice lots of fans returned in the fall and lots of heaters returned in the spring.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #7105403
FWIW, Costco also sells (IMO) excellent beef and poultry. As mentioned, it's in bulk but even for a two-place household, it's a very good value.

Yea, their beef, poultry, vegetables, etc. are really fresh and nice. Top quality stuff.

Sounds good hopefully they'll put some pressure on the major retail duopoly that operates in Australia.

You can't beat those samples though. You can have a feast and all it costs you is faking interest in some frozen microwave product.

A word of caution: In the US we have a phenomenon called the "Dollar Store" [every thing in there is a dollar], we call Costco the "Hundred Dollar Store." You can't get out of there for under a hundred bucks!

Costcos are pretty similar what ever your country-the ones in England and the US are almost identical. I live in the uS in Virginia and we buy our chicken and beef there-its the only local reasonable priced meat that has no added hormones or chicken broth. cat litter is cheaper too. although I try and stear away in buying to much in bulk as my appartment is too small for some stuff, like kitchen towel.
Electronics wise, prices are not that competitive I dont think to places like best buy.

Nistelrooydude wrote in post #7105760
You can't beat those samples though. You can have a feast and all it costs you is faking interest in some frozen microwave product.

Yea, I take my 12 kids there and make our usual round...

the costco membership is worth it you get extended warranties on electronics automatically like tv''s

Nothing but good experiences here. I use the Amex/membership card. Gas price is good and card gives 3% rebate for gas. Other rebates for general use, more for dining, travel, etc. For me, rebates more than pay for membership.
I don't always assume Costco hAS best price, but I've not found a better return policy. A friend took a car battery back about a year after purchase but had no receipt. No problem. Checked serial number and immediately verified valid purchase for full refund.